Gears are fundamentally part of every mechanical object that has a motor, engine or a spring. In terms of motorcycles, gear ratio plays a crucial role in determining the performance of your bike i.e. how the power is distributed and delivered through the gear shifts.
What is Gear Ratio?
Mechanically speaking, any gear wheel has gear teeth which are designed for a specific pitch circle engaged in gear rolls on each other without slippage.
Gear ratio/speed ratio is basically the circumference of the pitch circle determining how many times a gear has to turn for another gear to turn around once. The power or torque delivery is determined by the circumference of the gear. For that reason, the teeth at the rear sprocket are higher in number as compared to the teeth at the front sprocket.
In any bike, the initial gears offer more torque and as you increase the speed, you get to access the power on offer.
Gear ratios also determine the speed and torque relationship between gears in a mechanical system. A higher gear ratio will result in slower speed but higher torque delivery. Alternatively, a low gear ratio will result in a higher speed but low torque delivery.
Factors Affecting Gear Ratio
✔ Gear Size – The size of a gear greatly influences the gear ratio. A larger-sized gear may rotate slowly. However, its primary purpose is torque delivery.
✔ Number of Teeth – The number of gear teeth on a gear determines its size. A gear with more teeth tends to have a faster rotation than a larger gear.
✔ Material – The material of the gear also determines its load-carrying capacity and its life. The best gear/sprockets in the industry for bikes are made with 300 series stainless steel or cast iron depending on the use case.
Calculating Gear Ratio
To calculate the gear ratio, we need to simply divide the number of teeth at the rear sprocket by the number of teeth at the front sprocket.
Gear Ratio = No. of teeth on driven gear / No. of teeth on driving gear
For example, if the rear sprocket has 45 teeth and the front sprocket has 16 teeth, the gear ratio would be 45/16 = 2.8.
By understanding the in-depth function of gear ratio and its impact on vehicle performance, any biker can optimise their riding style while also understanding how engine braking works.
In terms of bike performance, a gear ratio is a trade between speed and torque.
Also Read:
Drum Brakes: Understanding its Components and Operating Principle
Understanding the Clutch System: Its Role and Importance
Future-Proof Commuting: Long-Term Prospects of Electric Scooters vs. Petrol Scooters
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